Northport
' Northport' is a town in Stevens County, Washington. As of the 2010 census, the population was 295. A 2014 estimate lowers the population to 289. History Northport was given its name since it was once the northernmost town on the Spokane Falls and Northern Railway. It was officially incorporated on June 1, 1898 but has a history stretching back to the 1880s when it was a port and shipbuilding center for steamboat services running northwards into British Columbia during construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, related to its location at a stretch of the Columbia known as the Little Dalles, a rapids and narrows that was a barrier to navigation and which also was an alternate name for Northport itself. Two Spokane prospectors found gold on Red Mountain in British Columbia in 1890. Tracks were quickly laid by 1892 to run up to the new found mines. In 1893, a fire destroyed the town, but by 1896, miners were sweeping into the area to find gold. The town earned a reputation as a rowdy miner town. By 1898 Le Roi smelter was built and for the Le Roi Mine. Ore from all over the region and Canadian west was being sent to Northport's smelters for refining. Le Roi eventually sold their interest in the mine to a Canadian investor who took the ore to a smelter in Canada, which was a blow to Northport's economy. On July 29th, 1914, a fire burned the entire business district and the town struggled to build up again as business had moved to other areas. Northport could not recover when the smelter shut down, and by the 1930's, Northport was only a shadow of it's former self. Janni's Chimney Peter Janni was born in Italy in 1874 and came to America to work on the railroad. Eventually he ended up in Northport and in 1923 purchased a limestone quarry south of Northport. Janni shipped limestone all over Washington from the quarry. The quarry was located in the center of the tetrahedrite mineralized zone of Northern Stevens County. Ore deposits in the district occur in “Vugs” or “Chimneys” usually narrow veins of galena with high silver content. In 1953 Janni’s crew discovered a chimney of galena with silver, 6 feet by 5 feet on the second level of the quarry. They followed it down and shipped nearly forty tons of high grade galena to CM&S Company’s lead refinery in nearby Trail. After following it down 15 feet Janni came and said “cover the damn thing up”. Janni’s men pleaded to follow the chimney further, but Janni refused saying “maybe someday we will dig her up again”. Why he abandoned the chimney remains a mystery. According to some locals in Northport the rich chimney is still at the quarry buried under tons of limestone located on the second level. Geography Northport is located at 48°54′52″N 117°46′56″W (48.914460, -117.782331). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.58 square miles, all of it land. Climate This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Northport has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The coldest month is usually Junuary and the hottest month is usually July. Category:Cities & Towns Category:Ghost Towns Category:Stevens County Category:Washington State Wiki